Diggin' the Dharma

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Some folks believe that Buddhism requires us to let go of all desires.  This is actually a misinterpretation of the teachings.  There are undoubtedly healthy and unhealthy desires, and if one desire turns into greed, we have crossed the line.  That line is only sometimes as apparent as we might think.   In this episode, we discuss what the Buddha says about this and how what we have to learn from these teachings.

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This episode will be aired the week Jon faces significant surgery.  It seems like an appropriate time to look into fear and how to work with it. 

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One of the various lists of the Dharma is the 10 Fetters. In this episode, we discuss the first five of these and none of them will be a surprise because they are so common.  Despite being common that doesn't make them easy break away.  

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For our first episode of the 2023,  we offer support just in case you've resolved to develop a daily meditation practice.

Maintaining a daily practice is difficult, so we hope these tips might help the process.

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In our final podcast of 2022 we'll take another look at embodied meditation, following a retreat that Jon was just on.  As a special gift, Jon will lead us on a wonderful guided meditation illustrating how seeing this embodiment can work in our practice.

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Jon has just got back from a long retreat, so we discuss his experiences, as well as offering a few book recommendations for the holidays and New Year. Go to our website for titles and some links!

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Is our "Diggin' the Dharma" logo a problem? Doug and Jon react to some recent comments on a thread at Doug's YouTube channel that expressed the concern that the logo was offensive in depicting the Buddha with a shovel.   It's an opportunity to look at the teachings of "rites and rituals" as well as the concept of spiritual materialism.

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"Yet it is just within this fathom-long body, endowed with perception and cognition, that I declare that there is the world, the origination of the world, the cessation of the world, and the path of practice leading to the cessation of the world.”  In this quote from the Rohitassa sutta  the Buddha addresses the knowing  body.  All that we know  and experience is in this body.  
So embodied practice is not the practice of cognitive understanding (though this is important) but rather a result of our direct experience.   Embodied practice is when our actions are a result of  heartfelt wisdom.  Where the rubber meets the road.
Doug and Jon discuss what is meant by embodiment and how do we know when we know.

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As we head out of the week of Thanksgiving we consider eating and food in the context of early Buddhist practices.   For those of who are used to eating three meals a day--a very western European way-- the notion of eating on the early Buddhist monastic schedule  of one basic meal a day before noon would seem rather strange if not impossible to hold to.  Of course, we don't go out for alms rounds to obtain our food and our daily schedules are quite different.   There is also the question of our attitude toward food and eating.    In this episode Doug and Jon explore eating as a practice and how meditation and Buddhism impacts (or not!) their food habits.

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For our listeners in the US, we are beginning Thanksgiving week. It's a perfect time to consider gratitude and how it integrates into our lives.  And if you're not in the US it's still a good time!  

As always, thank you all for listening, and for your continued support!

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